The Miami Dolphins received devastating news on Monday with star running back De’Von Achane tearing his ACL in the Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Achane had been and was expected to continue as the Dolphins’ workhorse on an offense still looking to find its rhythm.
While the news is disheartening, to say the least, there were several positives to take from Miami’s performance as a whole following his early exit. In fact, despite the Dolphins’ winless record to this point and the No. 1 overall pick in 2027 well within reach, there are many positives Miami has been able to take away since the season began -- which is what this season was meant to be all about to begin with.
Yes, they’re 0-3, and it’ll only get worse in the loss column, but the Dolphins have improved from game to game thus far in the 2026 season. And at the end of the day, progression and development are what matter most for this franchise when it comes to this season.
Miami Dolphins are improving game to game to start the 2026 season
Admittedly, Achane’s injury is likely to dampen the Dolphins’ progression, particularly the offense, at least in the short term. Miami’s offense ran through its Pro Bowl RB, and for a team that already struggled to garner points together, his loss makes it all the more challenging.
But in Achane’s absence, second-year man Ollie Gordon II stepped up in a major way against Kansas City. Already filling in for an injured Jaylen Wright, Gordon received the bulk of the work following Achane’s exit. Although his 2.4 yards per carry were less than desirable, Gordon ran hard throughout the contest -- even cramping up at one point in the second half and having to leave temporarily -- and he found the end zone on Miami’s opening possession.
Outside of the Dolphins’ run game, though, you could see the team improving overall. The Chiefs went up and down the field on Miami’s defense to start the game, but the unit settled down and made some key stops to keep the Dolphins in it for most of the game.
It’s still a small sample size, but it’s the best the Dolphins have looked so far to start the year. Last week, against San Francisco, Miami looked better than it had the week prior against the Raiders, before the 49ers took control of the game in the second half. So, while remaining winless, this is the type of positive progression we aim to see from this young Dolphins team on a week-to-week basis.
Dolphins’ defense remains the weak link
Miami’s offense has only been able to muster one touchdown per game so far, but behind quarterback Malik Willis, the improvements stand out. The Dolphins’ troubles truly lie, and were expected to, prior to the start of the season, on defense.
Special teams have certainly not helped, and they didn’t on Sunday either. But without a legit pass rush, plus a weakened cornerback room, teams have been scoring at will against Miami. Yet, against Kansas City, the defense kept the Dolphins in the game with much-needed big plays.
The Dolphins are still without a sack on the year, but rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has been everything as advertised. On Sunday, he corralled his first career interception and made evident his ability to be everywhere on the field. His leadership is growing, and he helped other Dolphins defenders to feed off of his energy in front of the home crowd.
Rookies on both sides of the ball, in fact, are stepping up in their own right, and that should only please Dolphins fans looking to the future. For now, Miami's run defense has been fairly good and should only get better when Kenneth Grant returns from injured reserve.
Dolphins' schedule is a blessing and a curse
Aside from looking at the scoreboard, it's been evident that Miami has improved each week. Unfortunately, they're going to be on the wrong end of the scoreboard most weeks due not only to the roster they have but also to the teams they have in front of them.
Winning in the NFL should never be considered easy, but the Dolphins' schedule this year is one of the toughest on paper, and it only looks to be tougher as the weeks roll on. Initially, Week 1 was viewed as one of Miami's top chances at a win this year when they traveled to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders. Yet, the Raiders won that game relatively convincingly, and they're now 3-0, indicating they may be much better than originally thought.
Dolphins fans knew the 49ers and Chiefs games would be difficult, as both are expected to be back in the Super Bowl conversation down the stretch. And with games against the Vikings, Bengals, Patriots, and Lions lined up in four of Miami's next five games, it doesn't get any easier for the Dolphins.
But in truth, that's probably for the best. In order for Miami's young players to truly develop, it helps to go up against some of the NFL's elite teams. When you also factor in that the Dolphins were essentially a lock for a top-five pick next year, it only helps their chances of picking higher. While I do not foresee the Dolphins going winless, anything more than three wins is probably far-fetched.
Losing Achane is tough for a young Dolphins team that didn't have a ton of bright spots to begin with. But Willis still had his best game as a Dolphin without him and can continue to improve as the season wears on, despite limited weapons in the passing game. Likewise, Miami's defense will get better as time goes by, and it'll eventually be that time when we see the Dolphins win a game we wouldn't expect them to.
In the meantime, the team must learn to limit the penalties. Even with a team full of rookies, it's still too many. Also, as mentioned, special teams must vastly improve. Although the defense hasn't looked good in many spots, special teams hasn't done them any favors in the process.
Nevertheless, it's important to note the vast improvements we've seen from Miami so far, and that comes down to coaching. Even just three games in and down by several scores in most of their games, it would be easy for Miami's players to pack it in. But they're fighting for four quarters, and that's all we can ask of them at this point.
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